From the Darkest Depths
by khughes830
Summary: How Zach and Kendall deal with someone interrupting their lives. No, it's not who you think. Not a story for you if you are a Dixie fan, I am not, as you will see inside! Starts with the KendallDixie conversation in the park.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **none of these characters are mine. Trust me, if they were, Zach would have tossed Dixie out a long time ago. Owned by ABC and written, sadly, by McTavish.  
**A/N: **Trust me, if you are a Dixie fan, you will hate this story, so turn back now. I'm not nice to her in this and well... that's just it. I'm so over Dixie and this whole story line. I feel bad for Cady - I can't imagine that this is what she thought it would be like when she agreed to come back!

* * *

"Zach is my husband and I plan to keep it that way." Kendall didn't see it, she couldn't have – there was no way for her to know that those words, that one sentence, had made her snap. Kendall couldn't know what was in her mind, what had been in her mind since that day at the cemetery, the day she met the handsome stranger with the wicked good looks and sad eyes. She knew then, as she did now, that she could make him happy; to give him the life he seemed to want so desperately. She had been trying, all these months spent trying to make him see what was in front of him, but it all kept coming back to Kendall – got to get proof to show Kendall, have to protect Kendall, have to keep Kendall and her baby safe. She was about tired of it.

Dixie squared her shoulders and glared at Kendall. "Kendall, I'm well aware of the situation."

Kendall took a step toward Dixie. "Well, I'm glad we agree on something. You've got JR, you've got Tad, you've got Di and Del. Leave my husband out of your poor pathetic scheme or whatever you're cooking up in your head. He's got a family now. Make sure you remember that!" Kendall looked her up and down once before turning on her heel. Dixie glared at her retreating form, seething with anger. Dixie would never understand what it was about Kendall Hart, of all people, that made other do the craziest things. She knew what Ryan and David had done for her during the Cambias trial. She had to watch as Zach left her to go to the island to save Kendall from whatever Madden had planned for her. She had all these plans for when Zach returned, only to be told he had married Kendall on his way back. She knew she almost gave herself away that day in the suite, that she almost let Zach know, but she knew she needed to wait, to revise what she wanted, what she had planned.

Dixie grabbed her purse off the bench and looked at the direction Kendall had gone. "Your husband, huh? I guess we'll see about that." Dixie looked at her watch and headed out of the park.

* * *

Whenever he was around, she couldn't take her eyes off of him, this virile man that was expending all this time and energy on a woman who could never truly appreciate him, his heart, his mind, who he was. She could relate to him in a way that Kendall could not, ever. They both had lived with secrets, had done things that they knew those that cared about them wouldn't look favorably on. Watching him sitting there, talking to the baby, made her realize how much he needed her, how much they needed each other. She could give him what Kendall couldn't – a real companion, someone to spend the rest of his life with, talking about important things, not lip gloss and Jimmy Choos.

She ducked around the corner as she heard Kendall coming down the hall. She watched as Ryan fawned over her. She watched as they watched Zach. Dixie watched Kendall watching Zach and she knew. She knew that Kendall didn't have a full appreciation for the type of man he is. "Piece of cake" she whispered to herself.

Kendall wrapped herself around Zach, unaware of the prying eyes down the hall. "That's nice" he whispered to her.

She pulled back and looked at her husband. "I've been wanting to do that all day."

"You gonna tell me what's going on?" Kendall looked at Ryan, remembering his words from earlier. "What's going on with you and Dixie?"

Zach rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "We'll talk, but not here. Go see your son, spend some time with him, then we'll get out of here and talk. I'll tell you everything, I promise."

"Everything?"

He nodded. "Everything. Go see your son."

"Come with me. I'm dying to hear the end of the princess and her magic hockey cup."

"Shut it" he said, laughing along with her. He threaded his fingers through hers and they walked back into the nursery.

Dixie snuck down the hall, and observed through the window at this dysfunctional family and how happy they seemed to be. "Delusional" she said to herself. She knew that no one was happy, especially not him. She knew that he was with her because she was a challenge and, even in the short time that she had known him, she knew he loved a challenge. But, she would make him see, soon, that he needed a woman that would challenge him without being challenging. She smiled at him and blew a kiss to his turned back. "I'll see you soon" she whispered at the window. She glanced at Kendall one last time before leaving, smiling the whole way.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1

* * *

She snuck up the steps after them. She had to know that Kendall wasn't going to talk him into leaving her alone, that he was still hers and going to be there for her and the baby.

"Aye-yi-yi. What are we doing here? And why can't I take you home?"

"I don't feel right about going home without my baby. At least when I was at the hospital I could close my eyes at night and I would know that Spike was just down the hallway."

"What can I do to help?"

"I just want my son home with me."

"I know. Ok. Let's get to it."

"To what?"

"You found out that Dixie was staying at the casino."

"Our casino." "Only because you trapped him in marriage" Dixie whispered to herself.

"Mm-hmm. I was helping her, and now you're upset." 'She's a selfish child, Zach. You'll see…' she thought to herself, moving up another step to hear better.

"I'm not upset."

"You're not?"

"No."

"Ok, are you hungry? Because I thought maybe we'd get some Chinese food and watch the World Cup."

"Why would I be upset? Just because my husband's been sharing a secret life with another woman?" Dixie smiled as she realized that Kendall seemed to be smarter than she ever gave her credit for. "I don't doubt that you love me. I don't, honestly."

"But there is a "but" in there somewhere."

"I just -- I -- I don't know why you helping Dixie bothers me so much." "Because you know that I can't be beaten, moron" Dixie said, giggling.

"But it does."

"The car ride over here and all the silence was me trying to figure out why I'm so upset."

"What'd you come up with?"

"I don't know. I was surprised, maybe? I mean, after pouring my whole heart out to you, it was a shock to learn that you had this whole sideline going on. And then -- and then I heard it from J.R. first." Dixie nodded – this couldn't have worked out better, even if she had planned on JR, of all people, getting to Kendall first.

"Ok, that would do it."

"I -- I really didn't need the -- the jerk who almost killed me throwing my husband's secrets in my face."

"It's understandable. What do you want to know? Come on, sit down, and I'll tell you everything."

"Ok. Um -- well -- Dixie told me that the two of you had -- wait a minute. What? What?"

"Of course you would go to Dixie before you asked me."

"So? Are you mad about that?"

"Uh-uh. Not at all. I just wish I could've been there to see it." Dixie sighed. She loved hearing him talk about her, knowing that she is a force to be reckoned with.

"Wow. You -- you're -- you're not trying to get out of this at all."

"Get out of what?"

"You kept another woman secret from your own wife." "Selfish, selfish child" Dixie said.

"But I wasn't keeping her for myself."

"Do you like Dixie?" Dixie had to stop herself from laughing out loud. Of course Zach liked her. They had a connection – it couldn't be denied. "Poor girl" Dixie giggled out. "She has no idea."

"I like Dixie a lot."

"Oh. You're not hiding anything at all."

"There's nothing to hide. In this world, there's plenty of women that I like and respect. It just turns out I like and respect you the most." Her laughter was quickly replaced by anger. "For now" she spit out at the wall.

"All right, why aren't you trying to come up with some lame excuse here?" "Because Zach is a man, no some boy trying to get out of sticky situation, you little twit." How Zach had put up with her for so long, she would never understand.

"I don't need one. Dixie needed a place to stay, she needed help, and I gave her that. End of story."

"Ok, well, if you didn't do anything wrong, then why did you keep it a secret?"

"We don't have the best track record when it comes to secrets."

"Dixie didn't want anyone to know that she was in town. She asked me to keep it quiet and so I did."

"Why not tell me, you know, the woman that you love?"

"When I first met Dixie, the woman I loved didn't want to have anything to do with me." "Yeah, never forget that, Kendall. I was the one there for him when he needed someone, not you. ME!" She clamped her hands over her mouth, fearing that she would be found.

"Oh, yeah. Well, so after the ball, when you were getting ready to move back to Vegas and you said something came up, that something was Dixie, wasn't it?" She loved that he had stayed for her, spent his time with her. It had cemented very thing she had been feeling since meeting him that day.

"Yeah, it was. She told me about Madden. And she's the one who told me to keep you away from him."

"He stole her baby?"

"That's right."

"Ok, well, I asked you about that, I wanted details, and I -- if you had told me, I would've never gone to the island with him."

"I gave her my word."

"So you chose helping Dixie find her child over saving mine?"

"No. Dixie and I tried to find proof to show you what Madden is capable of." She glared at the open door, seething that he was still deluded about why he had really been helping her.

"But you're still helping Dixie, aren't you? Even with Spike and me safe?"

"I am."

"Where were you when I woke up from my coma? You weren't there. You were with Dixie, right?" She smiled, remembering how she had to hardly convince him to go with her that night. "It's because he wanted to go with him, not run back to her."

"Well, you're right. I was with Dixie. The night before you woke up, I was pulled out of the hospital, I was arrested. And when I was released from jail, Dixie was there."

"Well, why didn't you just come back to the hospital?"

"Madden was making a run for it. We wanted to find him and get some information out of him."

"For Dixie?"

"For Dixie." She closed her eyes, biting her lip to keep from moaning. The way he said her name… she knew, she just knew.

"Why? Why -- I mean, Dixie, Julia? Why do you always have to run and help these women in distress?"

"Because I can, Kendall."

"But their problems are not our problems."

"Well, this one's pretty close, yours and Dixie's, only your problem is solved now, hers isn't."

"So is that why you won't go after J.R. -- for Dixie's sake, because he's her son?"

"No. Because she is his mother." "Because he loves me and won't hurt my family." But, of course he couldn't say that to Kendall, at least not yet.

"Ok, see, I don't get this. After everything that happened at the hospital -- I mean, you -- you fired a gun to protect me. You don't hate what J.R. did?"

"I never said that. But I don't want to add to Dixie's pain. J.R. is all she has."

"Well, that's too bad."

"I met Dixie when I was standing at my son's open grave, the son that I lost. And losing a child is -- um -- I think she's been through enough. I'm not going to take J.R. away from her for now. Think about it -- what if Spike did something, you know, 20 years from now, something regrettable and horrible, and somebody went after him? What would you do?"

"I'm sorry, Zach, I can't think that far ahead. I'm still fighting for my child right now. And thanks to J.R., he is still in an incubator, so I still want to see J.R. pay."

"And thanks to Dixie, I have you and Spike. Can you deal with that? You're my life, my future. Never doubt that."

"I love you, Zach."

"I love you." She wanted to scream as she heard them kiss. "Now, let me take you home and put you to bed."

She scrambled down the steps and hid around the corner. She was appalled that he was actually caring her around. As the elevator doors closed, she came out of her corner. "He needs someone who he can count on, not someone who can't function without him. Soon." She glanced over at Kendall's desk and grabbed the picture of Kendall and Zach. She broke the frame and ripped the picture in half, dropping Kendall's image into the trash. She ran her fingers over Zach's face and gently folded the picture in half and placed it in her pocket. She pushed all the files off Kendall's desk and smiled as they hit the floor in a scattered mess. She imagined that this is what the construction area had looked like, except Kendall would have been buried under the mess instead of the pen that fell off the pile as she pushed it over. She took one last look around and crept back down the steps.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1

* * *

It was early as Kendall walked into the building, barely 7 AM. She really hadn't been sleeping much since coming home from the hospital. She had decided to come to work early and try to get as much done as she could before Babe showed up and started screwing things up again.

Kendall sipped her tea, anxiously waiting for the day she could start drinking coffee again. The elevator doors opened and Kendall walked into the main room, flipping on the lights.

"Good morning Kendall." Kendall jumped, losing her grip on her tea. She looked over and saw Dixie sitting at her desk, feet propped up on the desk. "What the hell… Dixie?"

"We need to finish our talk."

Kendall dropped her purse next to her desk. "How in the world did you get in here?"

Dixie pushed herself out of the chair. "I said we need to finish our talk."

"What talk?" Kendall asked as she crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the table.

"In the park. We have some unfinished business."

"No, Dixie, I don't think we do. I don't know exactly what confused you about our little talk the other day, but I'm finished with you."

Dixie took a step toward Kendall. "Well, I'm not finished with you."

Kendall pushed off the table and stepped around Dixie. "Get the hell out, now, before I call security."

"No, I don't think you are going to do that." Kendall glared at her and picked up the phone. She had dialed one number before Dixie yanked the receiver out of her hand and threw the whole phone across the room. Kendall took a step back and stared at her. She saw something in Dixie's eyes, something that scared her, something that wasn't quite right.

"I said we need to talk!" Dixie ran her hand over her hair and took a deep breath. "Kendall, Kendall, Kendall… I came here early so that we could talk like two grown women without any interruptions, but you had to go and throw a tantrum, like a child. It's why you two are never going to work."

"What two?" Kendall asked, even though she was pretty sure she knew the answer.

"Why, you and Zach, of course. You can't change, Kendall. You aren't capable of it. It's not a bad thing, it's just fact. Zach needs someone to be something you can't."

"Oh, and you can be? Is that what you are saying, Dixie?"

"Kendall, I just don't want to see you get your heart broken when he leaves you. It would be better for you if it ended now." Dixie grabbed Kendall's hand. "I hate to see any woman destroyed just because she tried to be something she couldn't be. You shouldn't have to change for any man, Kendall. I'm just trying to be a friend, to let you benefit from my experiences." Dixie pulled on Kendall's hand, dragging her closer. "Trust me, Kendall, it will end. Do you want to be the one left behind when it does?"

Just then, they heard the elevator ding and Babe walked into the room. "Ummm… I'm sorry, am I…" Kendall had never been so glad to see Babe in her entire life. Kendall ripped her hand out of Dixie's grasp and walked across the room. Dixie lost focus on Kendall and walked over to Babe, hugging her. "Morning, Babe." Babe returned the hug. "Dixie, I didn't expect you to be here so early. Did I interrupt something?"

Dixie shook her head. "No, we're finished now. Hey, how about you and I have lunch later today, just us Chandler women?" Babe looked back at Kendall, who was shocked at what was transpiring in front of her. "Umm… alright, yeah, we could do that."

"Great!" Dixie said. She looked over her shoulder at Kendall. "Kendall, just think about what I mentioned, alright? I'm sure I'll be seeing you around." With that, Dixie walked out to the elevator. Kendall stared her down as she waited for the elevator to arrive. Dixie got into the elevator and turned around. She waved at Kendall as the doors closed. Kendall let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"I didn't realize you and Dixie were close?" Kendall glared at Babe. "We're not!"

"Oh, well, she's just great. You could come with us this afternoon if you want."

"Not in a million years" Kendall spit out, turning toward the layout table. "Crazy Chandler women" Kendall muttered under her breath, trying to shake off the encounter.

* * *

Kendall paced in front of the window, checking her watch for the umpteenth time since she had gotten to the hospital. They were supposed to visit Spike together, but he was 15 minutes late.

She heard footsteps running down the hall and turned to see him round the corner. He slid to a stop in front of her and kissed her cheek.

"Sorry I'm late. This casino thing ran long and… wait, why aren't you in there already?"

"Zach, we need to talk. Something weird happened to me this morning and I didn't want to be in there all jittery and stuff."

"Kendall, what happened?"

Kendall recounted her encounter with Dixie for Zach. He seemed truly shocked as Kendall told him what Dixie had told her about their relationship. He grabbed her shoulders. "Kendall, you know I love you, that I don't ever plan on leaving you, right?"

"Yeah, I know Zach, but she just…"

"I'm sorry" he said, pulling her in for a hug.

"I need you to do me a favor" she said. He pulled back slightly and looked at her. "Anything."

"Kick her out of the casino. Something… something's not quite right there, Zach and I just… I just don't want her that close to you, to have full access to you and the casino business and what not."

Zach sighed. "Kendall, I'm not sure that…"

"Zach, it was one thing for her to stay there when she had just come back and didn't have anyone around. Now, everyone knows she's here. She can go stay at the Chandler mansion or with Palmer and Opal or with Tad or at Wildwind with Di and Del… she doesn't need the casino anymore. I mean, have you even thought about why she's still staying there now that everyone knows she's back?"

"Well, I can't say that it hasn't crossed my mind a couple of times."

"Then, please Zach, tell her you need the suite back, tell her anything, just get her out of the casino. I'll feel a lot better if you do that."

Zach looked up at the ceiling and then back down at his wife. She had a look of real worry on her face, not jealousy, and he decided to trust her instinct. "I'll tell her tomorrow."

Kendall smiled and kissed her lightly. "Thank you, Zach."

"Come on, let's go see that little boy now."

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1

* * *

"Morons" Zach muttered to himself as he got off the elevator. He had spent the last hour and a half playing mediator instead of actually being updated on the goings-on at the casino. He punched in the code and unlocked his office, pushing the door open while reading the overnight report.

"Morning, Zach." His head shot up and he found himself staring at Dixie, sitting behind his desk. He looked back at the door. "How in the hell did you get in here?"

Dixie pushed herself out his chair and moved around the desk. "I need your help." Having her here uninvited brought back his conversation with Kendall – how she had been cornered by Dixie at the office, how Dixie didn't seem quite right. Seeing her here, now, he knew that Kendall was on the right track.

"Dixie, I don't think…"

"I got a new lead on Kate, someone called last night. I think we need to go back to the island and do some more poking around."

Zach sighed and dropped his file on the desk. "Who's the lead?"

Dixie whipped around, eyes wide. "What?"

"You said you got a new lead on Kate… from whom?"

"Oh… well, um… they wanted to stay anonymous, so they didn't tell me their name."

"Well, was it a man or a woman?"

"I don't know, I told you that…"

"You said someone called you. So, man or woman?" He watched Dixie's face, seeing her internal gears turning over and over, trying to come up with the answer. He watched her swallow the lump that had probably formed in her throat. "Sorry… it was a woman, probably someone that Madden manipulated as well. Anyway, I can tell you about the whole conversation in the plane, but we need to go back to the island, probably for a few days…"

"No" he said matter of factly, dropping into his chair, opening the stack of files that Gwen had left on his desk.

Dixie froze in her spot, staring at him, seeing that he was paying no attention to her. "What? What did you just say?"

He looked up at her. "I said no. I'm not going anywhere."

She was starting to get flustered and he knew that Kendall had been right in her instincts. "But… but, Zach, its Kate and…"

"Yes, I know, but I can't leave right now. Kendall needs me to be around…"

"I NEED YOU TOO" she roared at him, face turning red.

"Dixie, I'm sorry, but Kendall's my wife. Maybe you could call Tad… or I can see if one of my men could go with you."

"You know what, Zach, just forget it. You said you would help me, be there for me, but I guess that was a lie. I'll just do this myself!"

He just stared at her as she stood in the middle of his office. "Well?" he said.

"What?"

"You should probably get going."

"You are a piece of work, Zach, you know that!"

"Yeah, I actually do. But, before you go, there is one thing I need to talk to you about."

She sighed and smiled at him. 'I knew it' she thought to herself. "What is it?"

"Well, see… we are getting ready to come into the busy season and I've got a bunch of high rollers coming in over the next month or so, so I'm going to be needing the suite you've been staying in."

She was shell shocked – this was the last thing that she had expected to hear. "But… but you said that I could stay here for as long as I needed, that the room was mine!" She started to pace as she could see her control quickly slipping out of her grasp.

"I know I did, but business is business and I've got to make money. Besides, it was one thing when no one knew you were back in town. Now that everyone does, you've got options."

"But I need to be here!" she screamed at him.

"Why the hell would you need to be here? The casino is way the hell outside of town. I'm sure it would be much easier for you to actually be in Pine Valley instead of way out here."

"No, it's not. I want to stay."

"I'm sorry Dixie, it's just not possible. I can have the bell hops help you get packed and everything but…" He ducked as she threw an empty glass decanter at him. He put his hands on his desk and slowly pushed himself out of his chair. "That's it – you have 20 minutes to get out or security will throw you out. This is over, Dixie."

"We'll see about that" she spit out at him. She threw the door open and stormed out. He grabbed the phone off the receiver and dialed security, letting them know that they needed to go up to the suite and make sure that Dixie got out in a timely manner. He swiveled around in his chair, back to the door. He dug his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and it 1 on the speed dial.

He got her voice mail. "Kendall, I just wanted to let you know that it's done and you were right. I'm sorry that she scared you yesterday and I hope that you'll let me make it up to you later night. I love you. Call me later." She seethed from the hallway, hearing him make plans with Kendall after that bitch had ruined her plans. Dixie headed to the elevator.

* * *

"Mom, what are you doing here?" JR looked at his mother and her bags on his doorstep.

"Well, I was kind of hoping for a place to stay."

JR grabbed her bags and closed the door. "Yeah, of course, but what happened to the casino?"

Dixie sighed and smiled at her son. "I don't really know, JR. I was just there, minding my own business, when out of nowhere Zach told me that I had to get out. I think Kendall is insecure and still convinced that you are going to hurt her again, so she had Zach kick me out."

JR hugged his mother. "Of course you can stay here, mother. Any room you want."

"Well, I was thinking the pool house would be fine. I know how Adam feels about me, so I don't want to be in his face all the time."

"Yeah, the pool house will be fine, if you want that. I'll have Winnie clean it now. I just… Slater is one sorry son of a bitch, putting you out on the street with no warning. He really is slime and…"

"DON'T TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT!" Dixie screamed at her son, throwing her purse on the couch. JR's eyes went wide. "Mom?"

Dixie took a deep breath and shook her head. "I'm sorry, JR. I think I'm a little tired. Zach's been good to me. He's been great about taking care of me and helping me find Kate. Kendall's the one to blame for this."

JR looked at his mother warily. "Are you sure? Nothing else is going on?"

Dixie shook her head and smiled. "Nothing at all. I'm just tired, but once I have a shower and some food, I'll feel much better."

JR looked her up and down one last time before returning her smile. "Well, alright. Why don't you go use the guest suite for now and hopefully we can get you moved into the pool house tonight."

Dixie put her hand on her son's cheek. "You're such a good boy, JR. I promise, we'll be a normal family again, soon." JR nodded and Dixie headed up the stairs.

* * *

As she stepped into the shower, she kept thinking about her words to JR – _a normal family soon…" _She just needed to give JR and Zach that chance. Once she had the baby, she knew that the rest of the pieces would fall into place. She knew he wanted another chance to be a dad and both of her children needed a good dad, a good man that they could look up to. She remembered that day in the cemetery, how he had looked so sad at not having had a chance with his son. She knew that day that she needed to give him that chance back. He wanted that from her, she knew for sure. 'Soon' she thought to herself as she toweled herself off. She wiped the condensation off the mirror and looked at herself. "So very soon, we'll be that family" she said to herself quietly, smiling wickedly at her reflection.

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1

* * *

Kendall dug her keys out of her purse. She glanced at her watch and cursed under her breath – she was running late. She just hoped that Zach got home before she did to relive the nanny for the night. Kendall felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and she stopped. She slowly turned her head from one side to the other, looking around her. She could feel the eyes on her, watching her every move, but no one was around. She shook her head and ran her right hand up her left arm. She jammed the keys in the lock and threw open the door. She tossed her bags into the passenger seat and pulled the door closed, engaging the locks. She let out her breath and looked around again. She didn't see anyone, but she knew that she was being watched. She quickly started the car and peeled out of the parking lot.

* * *

She was sitting on the edge of the bed when he walked into the bedroom. "Are you sure the front door is locked?"

He laughed. "Yes, Kendall, I've checked it three times, now. What has gotten into you?"

She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm sorry… I just had the weirdest feeling when I left work today and… I just want to make sure that we are safe."

Zach stood in front of her and cupped her face in his hands. "You are safe. Spike is safe. I'm not letting anything happen to either of you, got it?" Kendall sighed and smiled at him. He leaned down and kissed her, trying to take her stress away. She moaned and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer. He tumbled down on top of her and they were frantic with each other. She ripped his shirt open and he yanked her blouse over her head. He rolled them over and divested Kendall of her bra in an instant. As he suckled on her breasts, she moaned loudly. He quickly covered her mouth with his own.

"Zach, please" she cried. They hastily threw the rest of their clothes across the room and she wrapped her legs around his waist, forcing him into her. They moved wildly together, each screaming the others' name. As Kendall started panting loudly, Zach reached down and touched her lightly. His touch made her lose all control. Just as she was coming down, he flipped them over and slid off the bed. "Hold on" he whispered to her.

"Where are we going?" she panted into his ear, kissing her way down his neck.

"Shower."

"Oh God" she moaned.

* * *

Kendall pulled open the bathroom door, pulling the towel off of her head, shaking out her wet hair. She was exhausted now and wanted nothing more than to fall asleep. Something at the window caught her eye and she froze. 'Someone is outside the window' she thought to herself. She took another step into the room and stared at the window. Just when she thought she was making it up in her head, a shadow moved away from the window.

"ZACH" she screamed. Zach came running out of the bathroom. "Kendall, what the hell…"

She whirled around, eyes wide. "There was someone at the window, looking in here." Zach glanced toward the window. "Kendall, are you sure that…" That's when he saw a shadow bolt away from the side of the condo.

Zach grabbed his sweatpants off the chair and pulled them on. He ran through the condo and threw open the door. He ran around the condo and through the bushes to the bedroom window. By the time he got there, whoever it was was gone. He looked down and saw the footprints in front of the window. There were a lot of prints, he noticed, all in front of the window, all seemingly from the same shoe. He noticed they were small, almost like… a woman's. He shook his head and looked around again. He let out a breath, hoping his gut instinct was wrong. He treaded back through the bushes and found Kendall waiting for him.

"Was someone there?"

"Someone was there, but whoever it was was gone before I got back there."

Kendall wrapped her arms around herself. "Zach, are you sure? I'm not going crazy, am I?" Zach ran his hands up and down her arms. "No, you're not. There are a ton of footprints around the window. Someone was definitely back there."

"Oh god…" Kendall leaned into Zach, wrapping her arms around his waist. He dropped a kiss on top of her head. "Don't worry about it, Kendall. Everything is going to be fine. Come on, let's get back inside."

* * *

Zach felt it again, like there were eyes watching his every move. He looked around the casino floor. He was doing his afternoon sweep, making sure that things were under control before he left for the evening. Every time he had stepped out of his office today, he had felt like he was being watched. But, as he looked around, he didn't see anyone that was paying him more attention than normal. Ever since last night, he had been a little on edge. Finding the footprints outside of the window had set Kendall off and had caused him to be a little more nervous than normal.

He stopped at one of the blackjack tables and tapped the young dealer on the shoulder. "Is there someone watching me?"

The dealer looked up at him. "Sir?"

Zach shook his head. "Nothing, I'm sorry. You're doing a good job. Keep it up." Zach muttered to himself as he walked off the casino floor.

* * *

He was looking forward to a stiff brandy as he rounded the corner to the condo. He froze as he saw a figure hunched over the door knob. He vaulted across the courtyard and grabbed this person on the shoulder, pulling them backwards. He froze when he saw who it was.

"Dixie?" She smiled up at him and his anger boiled over. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" he roared at her.

"Zach, I was looking all over for you. I've been knocking and knocking and…"

"You thought you would just break in?"

She shook her head and laughed. "Break in? No, I was just checking the knob to see if the door was open."

"Dixie, you were picking the lock!"

"I was doing no such…" Zach grabbed her fisted hand and pried it open to reveal a paperclip. "Care to amend your story?"

Dixie's eyes immediately filled with tears. If Zach hadn't been so mad, he might have been impressed that she could turn on the waterworks so quickly. "Oh Zach, I've been following lead after lead about Kate and nothing. I'm so scared and I really need your help."

Zach dropped her arm. "Go away Dixie."

Dixie advanced on him, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Zach, please… you're the only one who…"

"I said leave, Dixie."

Dixie leaned into him. "Zach, you can't do this to me. You promised me that you would help me, no matter what, and now, NOW, you're turning your back on me!"

Zach pushed against Dixie's shoulders, forcing her away from him. She tripped over her feet and fell to the ground. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" she screamed at him as she pushed herself up.

"Dixie, I'm only going to say this once. You need to leave me and my family alone. I'm not helping you anymore. I'm done. I've got my family to protect and keep safe. I don't have the time, nor the want or desire, to help you put yours back together. Leave now or I'm calling the police."

Dixie huffed and turned on her heel. She stormed out of the courtyard. Zach followed her at a distance, to make sure she really left. As her car peeled out of the parking lot, he breathed a sigh of relief. As Dixie's car disappeared, Kendall's came around the corner. She pulled into her parking spot and smiled. "Hey you. What are you doing out here?"

"Just waiting for you and the boy" Zach said, walking toward the car.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: **Bitch needs to go down in a righteous and horrid way... ton of brick? Nah... over a cliff? Too good... falling out of a hammock onto the street?Possibly... I just need Dixie off my TV yesterday!

* * *

It had been two weeks since Zach had any sign that Dixie had been around. He had his head of security do some checking, but it would seem that Dixie had holed herself up on the Chandler grounds and hadn't left much since that night he had seen someone outside of the window.

"Is she here?" Zach glanced up from his report to see Tad standing in the middle of his office.

"Ever heard of knocking, Martin."

"Is she here?"

"Who?"

"Dixie."

"If she is, then my security definitely needs to be re-evaluated." Tad just stared blankly at him. "Tad, the last time I saw Dixie, she was trying to break into our condo. I told her to leave us the hell alone. I haven't seen her since, but…" Zach thought back to that night. He was convinced that Dixie had been watching them from the window, a thought that he had only shared with the head of Seasons security.

Tad dropped into one of Zach's guest chairs. "I think I found her."

Zach's eyes went wide. "Who? Kate?"

"Yeah, I finally was able to track down someone that Madden hadn't gotten to… and, well, I have a lead."

"So why aren't you following it?"

"Because after the last time, I want to make damn sure that I'm not walking into a trap. I went over to get Dixie, but she seems to have disappeared. No one at the mansion has seen her since yesterday afternoon."

"So take Aiden."

"Can't. He's working on another case."

Zach gazed at Tad hesitantly and he started to shake his head. "No."

"Zach, I wouldn't be here if…"

"No way. Forget it. I'm out, or didn't you hear."

"No, I heard, but… as much as I hate to admit it, I need someone who will be missed to come with me, just in case I get stuck again like I did the last time. You can tell Kendall where we are going and if you aren't back by tonight, she can call the police."

"No way, Martin. Spike is finally coming home tomorrow and Kendall…"

"You'll be back tonight. We aren't going that far, I swear. It's only to Cincinnati – there and back and you'll be home in time for dinner."

Tad could see that he was getting to Zach. 'Time to play the trump card' he thought to himself. "Zach, do this and I swear, not only will I never ask you for anything again, but I promise you that Dixie will stay as far away from you and Kendall and Spike as I can keep her. No more interference from her."

Zach narrowed his eyes at Tad as he pulled out his cell phone. "I'm calling Kendall and letting her know and if she says no, then it's a no. But this it, Martin, I swear."

Tad just nodded. Zach dialed Kendall's cell phone number. "Hey… yeah I know… look, something has come up and I wanted to check with you before… no, nothing like that. Tad's standing here and he's got a lead on Kate and he wants me to go… yes, I told him that Spike was… no, no Dixie, just me and him… Tad promised by dinner… are you sure?" Zach sighed. "Look, what if I have Ryan come pick you up and stay with the two of you till I get home? Will that make you feel better?... Kendall, he's fine… see, why would Julia lie to you… well, yeah, but she does seem to like the kid… are you sure… I swear I will call you as soon as we are back on the plane… I love you too…" Zach snapped his phone shut. "Seems I'm in."

Tad clapped his hands together. "Great, I've got…"

Zach opened his cell phone one more time. "One last call." Zach dialed the number and waited. "Voice mail" he muttered to himself. "Ryan, its Zach. Something's come up and I was hoping that you could pick up Kendall and stay with her and Spike till I get home tonight. Shouldn't be too late. Give Kendall a call when you get this." He closed his phone and dropped it into his pocket. "Let's go."

* * *

Julia smiled into the bassinet. "Well, looks like this is the end of the road for the two of us, Spike, but I'm sure I'll be seeing you around." She tucked the blanket around the baby and turned as she heard the door open.

"Dixie?"

Dixie smiled at Julia. "Hey Julia."

Julia stood up and crossed her arms. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh… I was just passing by and I saw you with him and I just thought I would stick my head in and say hi." Julia was getting a weird vibe of off Dixie for some reason.

"Well, it's really only supposed to be family in here…" Dixie walked around Julia and smiled down at the baby. "He's adorable."

"And feisty, quite like his mother." Julia turned to fill out the chart, so she didn't see the anger flood Dixie's face, nor did she see Dixie grab one of the empty bassinets.

The last thing Julia felt before she hit the floor was a hard crack against her skull. Dixie smiled down at Julia's body. She turned on her heel and pulled a carrier out of the storage closet. Dixie quickly scooped Spike out of the bassinet and put him in the carrier. She covered him up with a blanket and looped her arm through the carrier.

She stuck her head out in the hallway to see if anyone was around. The hallway was deserted, so Dixie walked out of the neo-natal unit and through the hospital and out into the night, completely undetected, with Spike in tow.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: **Heard the fab news... rumor has it that... MCTAVISH IS OUT! Yes, I swear to you, I've seen it quite a few different places. Hopefully ABC will make an official announcement this week. Thank God is all I can say... after the crap we'll have to put up with this week (especially as a Zen fan... I'm protesting Wed... not watching at all, not even reading recaps!). Just wanted to share the good news. You may commence with the partying now!

* * *

Zach rolled his eyes and looked over at Tad, who was staring out the window at the house. They had been sitting in the car for 20 minutes and Zach was about tired of this. If they didn't get a move on, he knew there was no way he would be home in time for dinner and he was in no mood to deal with the wrath of Kendall, especially not over the Martin family. He silently cursed himself for letting Tad talk him into this.

"Tad, let's go."

"Slater, just…"

"No, no more time. Either you go up there or we turn around and go back to the plane because, I swear to you man, if Kendall is pissed at me tonight, I'm sending her to your place."

Tad looked over at Zach. "Fine, alright, I'm ready." Both men opened their doors and walked the path up to the door. Tad took a deep breath and rang the bell. A man answered the door.

"Can I help you?"

Tad looked over at Zach, frozen. Zach looked back at the man. "I'm sorry to bug you, but it would seem that our rental broke down and we're running late and both our cells are dead. Could we use your phone to call the rental agency?"

The man looked them up and down a couple of times before stepping back from the door. "Sure, I'll get the cordless for you." Zach watched the man retreat into the back of the house. Tad strode into the living room and Zach glanced around. As he turned on his heel, he saw Tad standing next the mantle, holding a picture frame. Tad looks up at Zach and turns the picture around. Zach felt like someone had sucked all the air out of his lungs – the girl in the picture looked like a mini-Dixie.

"I brought you guys a…" The man turned the corner and froze. "What the hell are you doing?" he roared at Tad.

"Where is she?" Tad screamed back."

"Who?"

"Her!" he yelled, pointing at the picture. "This is my daughter. Where is she!" Zach could see that Tad was losing it.

The man threw the phone down on a chair and glared at Tad. "I don't know who the hell sent you here, but…" Tad threw the picture down and tore out of the living room and up the steps. "KATE!" he screamed. Zach and this other man ran after him.

* * *

Tad threw open the first closed door he found and froze. It was a little girls' dream room, completely a doll house and tons of drawers for clothes. Tad looked around the room. "Kate" he said to himself.

Zach flew up the steps behind the man. Just as he hit the top step, a woman appeared from a room down the hall. "Alan, what is…" She froze as she saw the open door that Tad had just walked through. She walked slowly to the room and stared wide eyed at Tad.

Tad turned and looked at the woman. "Where is she?"

The woman launched herself at Tad, beating him on the chest with her fists. "GET OUT! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! GET OUT! GET OUT!" She screamed and screamed and screamed, beating on Tad the whole time. Zach was frozen to his spot as Alan grabbed his wife. They collapsed onto the little girls' bed. Alan held his wife as she sobbed and breathed heavily. He shushed her until her cries quieted. Alan looked up at Tad and Zach.

"You have to understand… this was our daughter's room."

"Was?" Zach asked.

Alan nodded. He looked down at his wife, who seemed to have settled down some. "Yes… there was… an accident last summer. Ally drowned in the pool we used to have out back."

Tad's eyes went wide and his back hit the wall. He ran his hand over his face, shocked at the news. "Oh my God… how…" he looked over at Zach. "How am I going to explain this to Dixie?"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Alan's wife shot straight up, shooting daggers at Tad. Tad shook his head. "Oh… what… it was… nothing… my ex, Dixie…"

"THAT BITCH! IT WAS HER… SHE KILLED MY BABY… THIS IS HER FAULT…" Alan grabbed his wife as she tried to vault across the room again at Tad. Zach and Tad just stared at her as Alan pulled her onto his lap, whispering in her ear. She breathed heavily and stared at Tad, but she seemed to be listening to her husband. They backed out of the room as Alan helped his wife off the bed. He quickly picked her up and carried her out of the room.

"Wait downstairs. I'll be right down." They watched as Alan carried his wife into what they assumed was their bedroom and kicked the door shut. Tad walked down the stairs. Zach glanced into the room one last time before pulling the door shut.

* * *

Alan reappeared 10 minutes later. Zach stood up as he walked into the room. "Look, I'm really sorry… it's just we've been looking for his daughter and we got a tip…"

Alan held up his hand. "Please, sit back down." Alan looked over at Tad. "Did she hurt you?"

Tad shook his head. "I'm fine."

Alan nodded and looked down at the floor. "My wife… well, she hasn't been the same since Ally died. We…" Alan looked up at the two men. "We can't have kids, so when we adopted Ally, it was like a blessing."

"Who facilitated the adoption for you?" Zach asked.

"Dr. Greg Madden. Have you heard of him?" Zach just nodded, refusing to make eye contact with Tad. "Yeah, he was the greatest. Ally's biological mother was killed in a car accident overseas and the father was never in the picture – Greg said he never knew who he real father was." Zach could see Tad's face tighten as Alan spoke.

"So" Zach said, "when my friend mentioned the name Dixie…"

Alan just nodded. "Yeah. The day that Ally died… it was a weekday afternoon. I was at work and my wife is… was a teacher, so she was home with Ally. She said she was making lunch for the two of them. Ally loved the pool… spent all summer in it, but my wife was insistent… no swimming without supervision, so I'd imagine that Ally was sitting at the edge of the pool, waiting for my wife to come outside. She answered the door and woman introduced herself at Dixie and that Greg Madden had referred her to us. Something about adoption… I don't really remember. Well, my wife invited her in and offered her lunch. They always ate lunch outside during the summer, so they brought the food out. She said… well, she said that once Dixie got a look at Ally, she froze, wouldn't take her eyes off of her. Said all she kept saying was 'Kate, Kate, Kate'. My wife tried to get her attention. She said she just tapped her shoulder and… well, she went off, apparently. Started screaming about how we stole her daughter."

"My wife was so protective of Ally, so she went to stand between this woman and our daughter. Dixie grabbed her arm from around my wife, trying to drag her away. The one thing we always told our daughter was 'don't ever go with strangers'. So, Ally started to fight her way out of Dixie's grasp, but she was only 4. My wife said she was yelling for her to let go. I guess… I guess she hit a puddle or wet spot or something because she… she cracked her head on the edge of the pool and fell in. Coroner said that she broke her neck when she hit the edge of the pool… died almost immediately. The neighbors said my wife started screaming for help. The people next door said by the time they got over here, this other woman was gone. I never saw her, but my wife said she saw her at the cemetery, way in the back of the crowd. She pointed her out to me, but all I got was a glimpse of a blonde bob walking away from me. She hasn't been back since."

Zach looked over at Tad, who was staring at his lap. Zach looked back at Alan. "I'm so sorry for your loss… we both are. I'm sorry to have interrupted your…"

"Would you show your wife this?" They both looked over at Tad, who had pulled a picture out of his wallet. Zach got up and walked over to Tad. He saw that the picture was one of him and Dixie. Tad pushed himself off the couch and handed the picture. "I just… I just need to know if this was the woman who showed up that day."

Alan took the picture and looked at it. "You know her?"

Tad nodded. "Yeah, if this is that woman who was here that day, things are a lot worse than I thought there were."

Alan nodded and walked up the stairs. 5 minutes later, he returned. "This is her… this is the woman who was here that day, my wife is positive." Tad bolted out of the house. Zach took the picture from Alan and shook his hand. "Thank you for your time."

* * *

Tad was leaning against the car by the time Zach walked down the steps. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know, Zach, I really don't know." Zach was about to ask him something else when he heard his cell phone chirp. He dug it out of his pocket. "Zach Slater."

Zach froze. He could hear Kendall in the background, screaming. "Kendall! Kendall!"

"Zach?"

"Ryan? What the hell…"

"You need to get back here now!"

TBC…


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1

* * *

Zach flew through the doors of the Pine Valley Hospital, Tad hot on his heels. He immediately spotted Jamie Martin and grabbed him. "What the hell happened?" he roared, causing people around them to look. "Follow me" he whispered, leading them down the hall. Jamie opened the door and motioned them inside. They found Julia in one of the beds, head bandaged. "What happened?"

Julia looks at Zach, rubbing her forehead. "Dixie took Spike." Zach froze, drilling holes in Julia's head. "What?"

"I was getting Spike ready to come home when Dixie barged in, knocked me out and took off. By the time I woke up, there was no sign of Dixie or Spike anywhere in or near the hospital. I called… everyone as soon as I realized what had happened."

Zach grabbed Tad by the lapels of his jacket. "I swear, if your crazy ex has done anything, and I mean anything, to that baby… I'll kill her and not think twice about it!" Zach glanced around, realizing that someone was missing. "Where's Kendall?"

Jamie and Julia looked at each other. Zach turned toward Jamie. "I asked where my wife is."

Jamie shrugged. "All I know is that her cell phone rang. She took it out in the lobby and said she had to go." Zach glared at the younger Martin. "Where's Lavery?"

"I think he went after her." Jamie breathed a sigh of relief as Zach turned his back on him and yanked his cell phone out of his pocket.

The phone rang twice before Ryan answered it. "Lavery, I'm back… at the hospital. Where's Kendall?... you better be lying to me, Lavery, or I swear to God… you lost her! Good Lord, most of the time I can't get you off of her and the one time I need you to stick to her like glue, you get distracted by a pretty flower!... no, I do think this is a perfect time for yelling… no, don't worry about it, I'm back, so I'll start… I don't really care what you do, Lavery, just stay the hell out of my way!" Zach stormed out of the room and out of the hospital, cussing Ryan under his breath the entire time.

* * *

Zach bolted out of his car. He had been all over Pine Valley that afternoon – to the casino, Fusion, Erica and Jackson's, New Beginnings… even to the Chandler Mansion to snoop around, to see if Dixie was there. If she was, she was hiding pretty well. He jogged around the corner into the courtyard and froze – the light was on in the condo. 'She's here' he thought to himself. He shoved the key in the lock and threw the door open. One lone light was on in the living room, but he could hear some murmuring coming from the bedroom.

He threw open the bedroom door. "I have been looking for you…" but he froze mid-sentence, staring at the bed. "Dixie?" There she was, under the covers, rocking Spike back and forth.

She looked up and smiled at him. "We were starting to get worried about you, weren't we sweetie? Looks like Daddy worked late again without calling. He's really going to have to stop doing that."

"Daddy?" Zach choked back the bile that had appeared in his throat.

She shook her head at him and laughed. "Yeah, Daddy. You don't really expect our son to call you Zach, do you?" He thought he was going to pass out. Dixie looked down at the baby. "Daddy really can be silly sometimes, can't he? That's alright, though… he'll catch on. You're going to have a great life, little one. Your family loves you so much and I'm going to make sure that you have the best of everything. That's what mommies do for their babies."

Zach fell back against the wall, the breath knocked out of him. "What about Kate?"

Dixie looked up at him. "Kate? Who's Kate?" Zach stared at her and felt a chill run up his spine. There was no recognition in her eyes. Kate was just another word to her. 'She's lost it' he thought to himself.

"Dixie, where's Kendall?"

Dixie rolled her eyes and swung her legs out of bed. "She just wouldn't leave, Zach. I asked her politely to get out, I yelled at her to leave; I even threatened to call the police, but she refused to leave. Not to worry, though… I can't imagine she'll be back." Zach covered his mouth with her hand.

"What did you do to her?"

"She kept interrupting me with the baby, Zach. She wanted to take him, to keep him away from me. What kind of crazy person would do that?" Zach just stared at her, eyes wide. "Like I said, don't worry about her." Dixie sighed and shook her head slightly. "Ok, now that all that is settled…" she extended her arms, handing Spike to Zach. Zach instantly grabbed him from Dixie. "You watch him for awhile… he's had me running ragged all day and I really need to take a shower." Dixie stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. He could only watch as she walked into the bathroom and shut the door. When he heard the water running, he went into action. He quickly closed the door and went out into the living room. He shifted Spike into one arm so he could pull his phone out of his pocket. He flipped open the phone and hit redial.

"Lavery, you need to get over here now… the condo… and bring the police… and possibly the largest sedative you can find. Move your ass… we've got a problem." Zach snapped his phone shut and dropped onto the couch. He looked down at the baby in his arms. "Any idea where your mom is?"

* * *

Kendall groaned and lifted her head up slowly. Her vision was fuzzy and she was having trouble figuring out where she was. She could tell it was dark and wet. She could hear an echo in the background, like water dripping. She tried to pull her arm around to rub her eyes, but she couldn't. She looked down at her wrist and screamed. Suddenly, she realized where she was.

As the thunder rolled outside, Kendall looked around and realized that she was chained to the wall in a cave, presumably at Miller's Falls. She also realized that she was in trouble.

TBC…


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: **Sorry it's short, but since the event which I refuse to discuss occur, I have struggled with writing Zach in a positive light. This is the result.

* * *

"Zach?" The bedroom was empty. Dixie rubbed the towel over her hair as she walked out into the living room. "Zach, are you…" She dropped the towel and froze.

The rest of the men froze as well, unsure what she was going to do. "GIVE ME BACK MY SON" she screamed, lunging for Ryan, who was cradling the baby. Ryan took a step back as Tad grabbed Dixie around the waist, keeping her from moving forward. Derek watched the scene unfold from the front door.

Tad turned Dixie around, shaking her. "Dixie, what the hell are you doing?"

"Trying to enjoy an evening with my family, Tad. I'm sorry that you can't get past that we are over, but…"

"Dixie, what about Kate?" Dixie's eyes went wide and she shook her head violently. "No, no Kate. It's my son and my family, there is no Kate."

Tad shook her again. "Dixie, this isn't your life!"

Dixie pounded her fists against Tad's chest. "YES IT IS! It's me and Zach and the baby." She glanced over her shoulder at Zach. "I've decided we should start calling him AJ… you know, for Alexander Junior… what do you think?"

Tad barely had time to react as Zach vaulted across the room and yanked Dixie out of his grasp. He pushed her up against the wall. "Look here, looney tunes. There is no family, not for you. This is my family, MY stepson, and MY wife, so you better damn well tell me where Kendall is right now!"

"KENDALL, KENDALL, KENDALL" she roared as she tried to slap Zach, but he grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm around. "WHAT THE HELL IS IT ABOUT THAT TRAMP THAT HAS YOU ALL JUMPING AT THE SOUND OF HER NAME?"

"Dixie, I swear to God, if you don't cut your shit and tell me where Kendall is right now…" With that, thunder rumbled above them and the living room was lit by the lightening. As the rain started to pound down, Dixie started to laugh. Zach released his grip on her as she doubled over in laughter.

Dixie righted herself and put her hands on her hips. "Kendall, huh?"

Zach took a step toward her. "I'm going to figure it one way or another, Dixie. But, I'll be a lot easier on you if you tell me where she is."

Dixie started to laugh again. "Well, Mr. Slater, I recommend you start thinking fast since drowning is a much quicker death than dying of starvation or dehydration." Zach's face fell as he realized that Dixie wasn't going to give up Kendall's location. He ran his hand through his hair as Derek arrested Dixie for kidnapping. Dixie just laughed as she was lead out of the condo.

Zach dropped onto the couch, feeling lost and helpless. This was his fault, he knew that for sure. If he had just walked away from Dixie all those months ago, if he hadn't allowed her to infiltrate the casino and his life, Kendall would be here, right now, rocking her son to sleep. He would be able to kiss her, murmur in her ear and wrap himself around her as he fell asleep tonight. But, because of Dixie, he didn't know if that was going to be possible again. He would never forgive himself if he deprived Spike of his mother after all this.

"Zach!" Zach looked up to see Ryan shaking him. "Don't do this… get up! We've got to go."

"But we don't…"

"Zach, its Kendall. If anyone can… I don't know, sense her, it's you. She's going to be fine, but we've got to go now! Erin's coming to get Spike, so get up and get moving!" Zach nodded resolutely, knowing that, for once, Ryan was right. He could find Kendall… he'd always been able to find Kendall when she needed him. "Let's go" he said, grabbing his keys off the counter.

TBC…


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: **Sorry it's been awhile, but I haven't been speaking to Zach until I watched yesterday's episode, so this story has been hard to write. Also, shout out to Derek, who must be getting tired of being the only chief of police that has zero authority over his town!

* * *

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SOMEBODY HELP ME!" She had been screaming and screaming ever since the water had started to trickle into her little slice of this cavernous hell. She had tried everything – screaming, trying to pull her hands through the cuffs, pulling and pulling and pulling, but nothing seemed to be working. Her feet were soaked as the water started to pour in a little faster.

"At least I know where I am" she said to herself. "Not that it will matter when I'm dead." She knew this part of the caves under the falls – they always flooded when it rained. She leaned her head back against the wall, cursing herself in her head. She hadn't even thought when she heard Dixie's voice on the other end of the phone. All she was thinking about was Spike and getting him back safe and in one piece. Dixie said she was at the falls and Kendall took off. She didn't tell anyone where she was going and didn't ask anyone to come with her and she was in more trouble than she could imagine as the water started to cover her feet.

"Come on Zach, where the hell are you? You always find me… I don't know how you do it, but you do! Do it now! Get me out of here" she said, choking out a sob.

* * *

Zach jumped out of the car before it had even stopped. He started to get this feeling as the approached the falls – much like he had the night he found Kendall hung up in that hammock. He heard Tad and Ryan behind him, but he didn't care what they did. He pulled the flashlight out of his jacket and turned it on, looking around, praying for a sign. He started to walk, scanning the falls, getting soaked in the process. He wound the light around in the dark and rain, hoping it would be a beacon to something. As he slid the light along the ground, he noticed what looked like drag marks. They were quickly filling in with water, so he started to run.

He came upon a small opening and the tracks stopped. He looked around, hoping to see anything, to find her somewhere, but it just seemed to stop, like they disappeared. He turned and leaned back against the rock, doing his best to control his breathing. He looked over and noticed it – an object that definitely didn't belong out here. He shot his light over and saw a green stiletto – one that Kendall had been wearing the last time he saw her. He looked around and noticed a small opening. Tad and Ryan came running up as he stuck his head in.

"Have you seen her, Zach?" Ryan asked, eyes darting around.

"Shhhh…" Zach said. He thought he heard… but Ryan kept talking and blathering on and on and on. "Lavery, if you don't shut the hell up right now, I'm going to shove you back over those falls!" Ryan snapped his mouth shut and Zach closed his eyes. That's when he heard it – very faintly, he heard his name. "Call an ambulance and the police" he barked at Ryan as he pushed his way into the cave.

* * *

He slid down most of the way and he was sure that his leg was probably going to be infected tomorrow when he sliced it open on a rock, but he could hear her. "Kendall" he yelled. "Kendall, are you down here?"

She thought she was dreaming. Her eyes shot open and she looked around. The water was halfway up her calf now and she was exhausted. "Zach?" she yelled hoarsely.

"Kendall!" he screamed, hearing her clearly for the first time. He plowed on and fell into the room. He sloshed his way over to her and grabbed her. He cupped his face in her hands. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not alright! GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face. Zach noticed that she was chained to the wall. He wondered how long Dixie had actually been planning this. His eyes darted around the room. The water was over her knees now and was only coming in faster. He knew he didn't have much time. "Kendall, I have to go back and…"

She grabbed his hand, sobbing violently. "No, Zach, you have to get me out of here. I want to go home and see Spike and fall asleep with you and I can't do that if you leave me here and…" She was scared silly, with every right to. He covered her mouth with his hand.

"Kendall, I have to go get bolt cutters. Hopefully the police are here by now, but I need to go get them." Kendall shook her head back and forth as quickly as she could. "No, Zach, please…"

He kissed her lightly. "Do you trust me?" She nodded slowly. "Then trust me. I'll be right back and I will get you out of here. Ok?" She nodded slowly again. "Ok then. I'm going to go." She could only watch as he started back out of the room. "ZACH!" He turned back to her. She ducked her head. "Zach, if something… if I don't… promise me that you will help Ryan take care of Spike… and that he'll know that I loved him and…"

"Kendall." She looked up at him. "Kendall, I'm taking you home tonight. Stop that right now. You're getting out of here. I'll be right back."

"HURRY!" she screamed as he started back up the incline.

* * *

He was limping by the time he got back to the entrance. "I need bolt cutters" he huffed out, leaning on Tad. "She's down there, chained to the wall. I need bolt cutters!"

"Zach!" Zach had failed to notice the lights and police around. Derek tapped him on the shoulder. "Zach, she's alive?"

"For now, but I need to…" Zach tried to take a step, but winced in pain. Derek noticed the blood stain on his pant leg. "Zach, we'll get her out, but you need…"

"No, Derek, what I need are bolt cutters. I told her I would be right back, so give me the damn cutters and let me go get my wife!" Derek stared at Zach for a moment before he pulled off his jacket and ran back to one of the cars. Derek pulled a pair of bolt cutters out of the trunk of one of the cruisers and ran back to Zach. "Fine, but I'm coming in with you. You can barely walk yourself, but I know there's no use in trying to tell you to stay behind. Come on." Zach just nodded and led the way.

* * *

The water was over Kendall's chest when they got back to her and she was flailing around. "ZACH! ZACH!" she screamed as they came back in the room. He waded over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her up. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sobbed. "I want to go home."

"And you are" Derek said "but you need to stay calm. I'm going to have to do this underwater, so it's going to take a little longer, but you'll get out of here, I promise." Derek dove under the water.

"Hey, look at me" Zach said, doing his best to take her mind off being chained to a wall in a cave that would be completely filled with water in a matter of minutes. Kendall pulled her head off his shoulder.

"Is Spike alright?"

"Oh yeah, he's fine. He's with Erin right now, probably getting hopped up on M&M's and Mountain Dew."

"You do realize that he's only a month old, right."

"Well, the boy is very mature for his age."

"What's next, brandy and cigars at the casino?"

"Well, I thought we would start with juice and lollipops first, but yeah, eventually." They heard a thud and Kendall yanked on of her arms up out of the water. Derek reemerged and looked around. Zach had Kendall as far off the ground as he could get her, but the water was covering his chest and would be over all of their heads in a matter of minutes. "Be right back" he said, diving back under the water.

Kendall turned back to Zach with worry in her eyes. "You should get out of here" she whispered to him.

"No way" he said, shaking his head. "I'm trying to decide between pepperoni and mushroom on my pizza tonight and I need you to be the deciding vote."

"Zach, I'm serious."

"So am I. Both sound really good, but I can't decide. You're going to have to…" they heard another thud and Derek came back up over the water. "Let's get the hell out of here."

"With pleasure" Kendall yelled as they started to swim across the room.

TBC…


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: **I was totally ending this a different way, but everyone was requesting that Kendall give Dixie her what-not, so this is my version! Sorry if it's not harsh enough for you, but this mature, grown up Kendall is someone I can totally get behind!

* * *

She could only stare as Dixie was brought into the courtroom, shackled at her hands and feet, in an orange jumpsuit. An insanity plea had been a piece of cake for her attorney to get – the case never went to trial. Kendall was irate when she heard that, spouting off about how they all get away with anything they want. She didn't believe it – she thought Dixie was playing another game. That is, until she actually saw Dixie for the first time since the kidnapping. It had been a month since that night in the cave and there she sat in-between Zach and Ryan, watching Dixie walk slowly into the courtroom.

Kendall watched as Dixie's eyes found Zach's and she puckered her lips at him. Zach immediately threw his arm around Kendall's shoulder, holding her down. He had no doubt that Kendall would make good on her promise to hurt Dixie if she was ever given the opportunity.

This was the sentencing phase. JR and Dixie's attorney were lobbying for leniency, hoping that JR's promise that Dixie would live on the Chandler property and would see a psychiatrist daily would be good enough to keep her out of the hospital. The DA was claiming that Dixie needed to be locked up at Oakhaven for a long time, since she had obviously gone crazy.

Dixie's only witness was JR who went on and on about how good a mother Dixie was to him as a child and how she would have never intentionally hurt anyone, not Spike, not Kendall, not anyone. When the DA asked JR to explain, then, Dixie's attack of Julia and Kendall being chained to a wall of a room in a cave that was known to flood during rain. JR could only stare and shrug his shoulders. Kendall had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

The DA called Tad, who talked about the couple in Cincinnati and how Dixie had been there when the child that they thought was theirs died. The state psychologist talked about how this event had caused a severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Dixie and had caused her to block out those events in her mind. The longer she went without treatment, the more of a danger she became to herself and to her community. Zach testified just how dangerous she had actually become.

The judge's sentencing was a quick decision – an indefinite stay at Oakhaven, starting immediately. The judge adjourned the sentencing and everyone stood. Zach and Kendall walked out of the courtroom. "It's over" she said, throwing her arms around his neck. The murmuring around them stopped and Kendall turned around to see the police leading Dixie out of the courtroom.

Dixie slowed up as she approached Zach and Kendall. Zach was about to pull Kendall in the opposite direction when Kendall stepped in front of him and stood toe to toe with Dixie.

Dixie just smiled at Kendall. "You know, it will never last."

Kendall just laughed. "This from the woman going to Oakhaven."

Dixie looked over Kendall's shoulder at Zach. "You know you'll be thinking about me when you're with her, right? When you're kissing her, making love to her, reading the paper with her… you know I'll be the one at the forefront of your thoughts, you inner desires, your…"

Dixie never got the chance to finish that statement. Kendall narrowed her eyes at Dixie and wrapped her hand around Dixie's throat, throwing her back against the wall. Dixie's eyes rolled back in her head as she connected with the wall behind her. Kendall just watched as Dixie passed out and slid down the wall.

"Crazy ass bitch" Kendall muttered to herself, rubbing her hands together. She turned and smiled at Zach. "Let's go home." She wrapped her arm around his waist and they walked away from the courtroom, not looking back.

* * *

She looked up as her door unlocked. She knew this was an odd time for someone to be coming into her room – she had already had lunch and they weren't going to be bringing her medication for another hour. That was the one thing she could count on here at Oakhaven – consistency.

"Afternoon Janet" the nurse said as she dropped a bag on the empty bed across the room. She hadn't had a roommate in a few months.

"Someone moving in?"

"He'll be coming for me soon, you know that right? He won't leave me here. As soon as he realizes that that tramp will never make him happy, he'll come here and demand that I leave with him." Janet just stared at Dixie walked into the room.

"Yeah yeah yeah" the nurse said, barely paying attention. "Janet, this is Dixie. She's going to be your roomie for the time being." The nurse left, locking the door behind her. Janet watched as Dixie walked over to the window, muttering to herself.

"Dixie Martin? Is that you?" Janet asked as she pushed herself off the bed. She walked over the window. "Don't tell me Adam had you committed again?"

Dixie smiled at Janet. "Janet, my dear friend, he'll be here soon. In fact, he can get us both out of here. Zach… he's such a good man, a man of his word. He promised to stick by me, to help me through anything, he'll be here soon and he'll leave that tramp he's married to and he'll come for me, you'll see." Dixie turned her gaze back to the window. "You all will see. He's coming for me and we'll be a family. And then, I'll take care of Kendall once and for all and make them all see her for who she really is. They'll all see."

Janet backed away from Dixie and sat back down her bed. She picked up her crochet and glanced over again. Dixie stared out the window, arms wrapped around her body, rocking back and forth on her heels, muttering about Zach and her family.

"Cah-ray-zy" Janet sang to herself, giving all her attention to the 'World's Best Mom' potholder she was currently making.

THE END


End file.
